Pain Care Improvements Recommended in IOM Report Releasing June 29

Released: 6/21/2011

Pain affects more than 116 million Americans annually. It is a major cause of work disability and one of the most common reasons for taking medications. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 called for the Institute of Medicine to explore the public health significance of pain in the United States. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Treatment, and Research presents the findings and recommendations from an IOM committee convened to identify barriers to pain care and ways to overcome these obstructions.

DetailsThe report will be released on Wednesday, June 29, at a one-hour public briefing starting at 11 a.m. EDT in Conference Room B of the 20 F Street Conference Center, 20 F St., N.W., Washington, D.C. Those who cannot attend may participate through a live audio webcast accessible at http://www.nationalacademies.org. Advance copies will be available to reporters only beginning at 10 a.m. EDT Tuesday, June 28. The report is embargoed and not for public release before 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday, June 29. Reporters can obtain a copy and arrange interviews with members of the authoring committee by contacting the National Academies' Office of News and Public Information; tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu.